Total Annihilation
frame Total Annihilation is a real time strategy game produced by Cavedog Entertainment under the design direction of Chris Taylor and published by GT Interactive for PC and Mac OS, released on September 30, 1997. It is notable as being the first RTS to use 3D graphics on a wireframe, although this was downplayed due to a fixed camera angle. It did greatly affect terrain movement and line of sight, however. A similar-themed game - but with fantasy elements - known as Total Annihilation Kingdoms was released, followed by two TA expansions, Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency (released on April 30, 1998) and Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics (June 30, 1998). It is rated T for Teen. Total Annihilation was also well known for its "unit creation" forums, where players and fans could suggest new units to be produced. Every so often the Cavedog team would choose the unit that was most voted for and add it as an optional downloadable unit from the same site. Several more of these units would go on to be released as new units included in the Core Contingency expansion pack. A mod called XTA began independent development using the open source 3D graphics Spring game engine in the summer of 2006. Although Cavedog closed in 1999 and the intellectual properties were sold to Infogrames (and later to Atari), lead designer Chris Taylor would join Gas Powered Games to create the series' spiritual successor, Supreme Commander in 2007 followed by its sequel, Supreme Commander 2. Other ex-Cavedog employees, including game engine developer Jon Mavor, would go on to develop Planetary Annihilation to be released in 2014, which could be a second spiritual successor to the franchise. In July, 2013, Wargaming.net bought the Total Annihilation franchise from the Atari bankruptcy proceedings. Storyline Long ago, the galaxy had known peace. Paradise was ruled with the hand of science, and the hand was that of the galactic governing body known as the Core. Ironically, it was the Core's ultimate victory, the victory over death itself, that brought about the downfall of its paradise and started the war that would decimate a million worlds. The immortality process, known as "patterning," involved the electronic duplication of brain matrices, allowing the transfer of consciousness into durable machines. Effectively it meant immortality, and the Core decreed the process mandatory for all citizens in order to ensure their safety. However, there were many citizens unwilling to toss aside their bodies so casually, many indeed who regarded patterning as an atrocity. They fled to the outer edges of the galaxy, forming a resistance movement that became known as the Arm. War began, though it was never officially declared by either side. The Arm developed high-powered combat suits for its armies, while the Core transferred the minds of its soldiers directly into similarly deadly machines. The Core duplicated its finest warriors thousands of times over. The Arm countered with a massive cloning program. The war raged on for more than 4,000 years, consuming the resources of an entire galaxy and leaving it a scorched wasteland. Both sides lay in ruins. Their civilizations had long since vanished, their once vast military complexes were smashed. Their armies were reduced to a few scattered remnants that continued to battle on ravaged worlds. Their hatred fueled by millenia of conflict, they would fight to the death. For each, the only acceptable outcome was the complete and utter annihilation of the other. Gameplay Description As described by Cavedog Entertainment circa 1997 on their official website: Prepare yourself for the next generation of real-time strategy gaming. Total Annihilation's technological and graphic advancements, including true 3D terrain and real-time 3D rendered units and buildings, make it the most challenging and visually stunning real-time combat game around. Large, diverse maps transport players across radically different landscapes of ice, lava, forest and more. Mega-maps as large as 64 Mb, thousands of screens wide, promise hours -- even days -- of battle. With true 3D weapon trajectories, holding "high ground" isn't just a saying, it's survival. Players can lob artillery shells over hillsides, while long-range "Big Bertha" cannons bombard the enemy from halfway across the world. frame|left|An ARM [[Brawler (Total Annihilation)|Brawler.]] The true 3D environment allows players to drive heavily armed tanks up mountains, into valleys and even underwater. Each Total Annihilation unit is constructed of hundreds of individually articulating parts. Cannons recoil and vehicles shake after each hit. Aircraft wings fold and unfold on takeoff and landing. With each vehicle fully rendered in 3D in a real-time environment, fighter aircraft can barrel-roll through turns, while belly cannon rotate to track targets. The battle grinds on the ground, lofts through the stratosphere, and even takes to water. Dozens on naval units -- submarines, battleships and destroyers -- give Total Annihilation a whole new edge. Entire campaigns can take to the seas, as amphibious tanks actually drive beneath the waves and aircraft deploy directly from carriers to attack enemies bases across the oceans. Total Annihilation brings new scope, depth and meaning to real-time war gaming. Try to survive. Game Features *Fully articulated 3D units and buildings, with a full complement of land, sea and air units. A unique tracking feature allows players to follow units across the landscape. *True 3D terrain that units can climb over, into and around, on extra-large 3D-generated maps. Runs in high resolutions, so players can see more of the battle field. *Battles break out on terrain such as grasslands, forests, snowscapes, deserts, open water, barren landscapes, lava, metal and ice worlds -- and many more. *More than 150 units and 25 missions per side in a single-player campaign. *Single-player skirmish battles and full multiplayer support, allowing players to watch and join battles, and form allied teams to share resources, information and units. *New units and maps available for download. *Complex water units, such as aircraft carriers, floating factories and amphibious tanks, as well as air and sea transports that can move virtually any unit. *Highly advanced weaponry includes starburst missiles, plasma shells, lightning pulses and paralyzers. Campaigns ARM #A Hero Returns #CORE KBot Base, Destroy It! #Spider Technology #CORE Contamination Spreads... #The Gate of Thalassean #Beachhead on Thalassean #The Defense of Larab Harbor #The Gate to Tergiverse IV #The Hydration Plant #The Bromid Maze #The Gate to Barathrum #Barathrum! #Landown's Interface #The Heat Increases #Rougpelt #Stockpile at the Abutment #Fortress at Brooban's Isle #Vengeance! #The Motien Ramp #Dump #Welcome to CORE PRIME #Battle for Coordinate 6551:447 #Crossing Aqueous Body 397 #Breakthrough to Central Consciousness #CORE PRIME Apocalypse. Free at Last! CORE thumb|350px|The CORE Commander. #The Commander Reactivated... #Vermin #Ambush! #Enough is Enough #Barathrum! #The Cleansing Begins #Pulling the Noose Tight #The Gate to Aqueous Minor #The Purgation of Aqueous Minor #The Gauntlet #Isle Parche #A Traitor Leads The Way #Rougpelt #Scouring Rougpelt #Xantippe's Abyss #Departing Rougpelt #The Lost Isle #Slolam Pilago #The Vebreen Fleet #The Gate To Aegus #Aegus...Empyrrean's Guardian #A Big Empyrrean Welcome #The Fortress Falls #Surrounded and Pounded #Empyrrean's Final Stand Tech Gallery ARM Structures ARM Units ARM Expansions Units and structures that were only released with the first expansion set, ''The Core Contingency.'' ARM Downloads Units and structures that were only released on the official website for download. ARM FARK.gif|FARK Fast Assist Repair KBot ARM Flea.gif|Flea Scout KBot ARM Marky.gif|Marky Mobile Radar KBot ARM Shooter.gif|Shooter Sniper KBot ARM Warrior.gif|Warrior Medium Infantry KBot ARM Penetrator.gif|Penetrator Mobile Energy Weapon ARM Phalanx.gif|Phalanx Mobile Flak Vehicle ARM Scarab.gif|Scarab Mobile Anti-Nuke ARM Eagle.gif|Eagle Radar Plane ARM Defender NS.gif|Defender NS Naval Series Missile Tower ARM Flakker.gif|Flakker Anti-Air Flak Gun ARM Fortification Wall.gif|Fortification Wall ARM Stingray.gif|Stingray Naval Heavy Laser Tower ARM Stunner.gif|Stunner EMP Missile Launcher ARM Cloakable Fusion Plant.gif|Cloakable Fusion Plant ARM Metal Maker NS.gif|Metal Maker NS Floating Metal Maker ARM Moho Metal Maker.gif|Moho Metal Maker CORE Structures CORE Units CORE Expansions Units and structures that were only released with the first expansion set, ''The Core Contingency.'' CORE Downloads Units and structures that were only released on the official website for download. CORE Dominator.gif|Dominator Heavy Rocket KBot CORE Necro.gif|Necro Resurrection KBot CORE Sumo.gif|Sumo Heavy Assault KBot CORE Voyeur.gif|Voyeur Mobile Radar KBot CORE Copperhead.gif|Copperhead Mobile Flak Vehicle CORE Hedgehog.gif|Hedgehog Mobile Anti-Nuke CORE Leveler.gif|Leveler Riot Tank CORE Leviathan.gif|Leviathan Battle Sub CORE Phantom.gif|Phantom Radar-Jamming Ship CORE Cobra.gif|Cobra Anti-Air Flak Gun CORE Immolator.gif|Immolator Plasma Tower CORE Neutron.gif|Neutron Missile Launcher CORE Stinger.gif|Stinger Naval Missile Tower CORE Thunderbolt.gif|Thunderbolt Floating Heavy Laser Tower CORE Toaster.gif|Toaster Pop Up Heavy Cannon CORE Floating Metal Maker.gif|Floating Metal Maker Trivia *For the ARM and the CORE to "decimate" a million worlds in only 4,000 years, they would need to decimate an average of 250 worlds per year, or .68493151 worlds every day. This is, of course, assuming that a "year" in the Total Annihilation timeline is equal to a year on Earth. Category:Games by Cavedog Entertainment Category:Games by GT Interactive Category:Strategy Games Category:Real-Time Strategy Category:1990's-1999's Games Category:Steam Games